This is the only one I disagree with. I don't think we have the DE depth to cut him.

That Craig Stevens extension was sooooo bad.

Depth-wise, currently we do not have enough to let him walk. But Wimbley is only playing around 29% of snaps, and has only contributed 6 tackles and 1 sack all season. Unless he turns it on the rest of the season, we can replace that production rather easily.

Getting out of Wimbleys contract would be key, or possibly restructuring it to where his 2014 contract is fully guaranteed and he's a FA after that. I really thought Wimbley would strive in this system, but so far that hasn't been the case.

He's our 6th highest paid player, and is only seeing the field less than 1/3 of the defensive snaps. That just doesn't play out right.

I'd rather put the money we would be paying him towards: Jared Allen, Michael Bennett, Justin Tuck or just get a decent backup for 2-3m.

I'd also consider cutting Nate Washington (saves 4.8m) but only once we signed someone to replace him. I'd like James Jones or Anquan Boldin.

At RT, I'd shoot for signing a veteran or we could try to fill it in the draft also. Eric Winston is a overrated, he's like the opposite of Stewart, great run blocker but mediocre pass protection.

Either way, my main concern is to get rid of some of the underachievers and their contracts. We can get the same production for far less, so we might as well save the money even if it's not spent in bringing in other FAs but resigning our own.

I agree with most of these -- although, in my mind, both Pitoitua and Pollard are getting close to "must re-sign" status, as they're both playing really well for us thus far.

The Wimbley number is a tough one because of the dead money. Obviously, he hasn't lived up to his contract. But I hate to pay a guy that much money to be playing for another team. As someone else mentioned, it may be worth trying to re-structure his deal, giving him more money in 2014, and cutting ties with him after that.

As far as Washington goes, he's another tough call -- especially if we re-sign Damien. Clearly, Wright and Hunter are the future; and Damien provides nice depth at the position. But Washington has been invaluable to this team and, depending on the other options, he might be the best fit. (I'd guess James Jones will cost more than Washington, given his age/potential. And at this point, I'd probably rather have Washington than Anquan Boldin, who is pretty much a one-trick pony.)

I mostly like Anquan because of his possession and run blocking skills. Hunter can be our deep threat with Wright working the short to intermediate routes.

Pollard and Pitoitua both need resigned, and I think they will be, as long as they don't want a ridiculous amount. If a team shows they want Pollard to stay, I think he will even if the money isn't what he deserves. We're his 4th team and I think if a team shows they want him, he'll stick around.

Depth-wise, currently we do not have enough to let him walk. But Wimbley is only playing around 29% of snaps, and has only contributed 6 tackles and 1 sack all season. Unless he turns it on the rest of the season, we can replace that production rather easily.

Getting out of Wimbleys contract would be key, or possibly restructuring it to where his 2014 contract is fully guaranteed and he's a FA after that. I really thought Wimbley would strive in this system, but so far that hasn't been the case.

He's our 6th highest paid player, and is only seeing the field less than 1/3 of the defensive snaps. That just doesn't play out right.

I'd rather put the money we would be paying him towards: Jared Allen, Michael Bennett, Justin Tuck or just get a decent backup for 2-3m.

I'd also consider cutting Nate Washington (saves 4.8m) but only once we signed someone to replace him. I'd like James Jones or Anquan Boldin.

At RT, I'd shoot for signing a veteran or we could try to fill it in the draft also. Eric Winston is a overrated, he's like the opposite of Stewart, great run blocker but mediocre pass protection.

Either way, my main concern is to get rid of some of the underachievers and their contracts. We can get the same production for far less, so we might as well save the money even if it's not spent in bringing in other FAs but resigning our own.

Oh yeah, if we could upgrade him with Allen, Tuck, or Bennett, that'd be awesome. Brian Orakpo is also scheduled to be a FA, and I'd love to have him.

But I always thought Wimbles was one of those DE's who made his impact through QB hurries and such, so his numbers were potentially misleading. But you're right about his snap count. Dude's a situational pass-rusher, and that's a lot to pay for a one trick pony.

I think I'd be at peace with cutting Hands after this season. I'd like to get an X Possession receiver. Wright fits the speedy Z and slot Y spots, and while Hunter has the size for X, his play style doesn't lend itself to it well cause he's a glider. Ideally, Britt fits this role for us, but he's gone. I hope we get to see Damian Williams in this role a lot so we can decide if he has a role in this receiving corps or not.

Does anyone know how much money we'd save by cutting Washington or CJ? Just curious. Also...aren't Klug and Ant-Johnson both FA after this season too? Klug's decent depth and Johnson's been playing surprisingly well for us thus far this season, so I'd be curious to see what might happen with them.

Does anyone know how much money we'd save by cutting Washington or CJ? Just curious. Also...aren't Klug and Ant-Johnson both FA after this season too? Klug's decent depth and Johnson's been playing surprisingly well for us thus far this season, so I'd be curious to see what might happen with them.

We'd save 4.8m by cutting Washington. I believe all his bonuses have been paid so their is no dead money.

It's hard to find the exact details of the CJ contract, but I think cutting CJ we'd save $4m on the cap next season, and have $4 in dead money.

Klug is signed through 2014, while Antonio Johnson is FA after this season. He's played well, and if he comes cheap I think he'll be back. We've got to consider the contract given to SLH, he's paid to be a starter. Paired with Casey and Martin, it's a solid trio. Johnson should be resigned if he comes at a decent price.

Oh yeah, if we could upgrade him with Allen, Tuck, or Bennett, that'd be awesome. Brian Orakpo is also scheduled to be a FA, and I'd love to have him.

But I always thought Wimbles was one of those DE's who made his impact through QB hurries and such, so his numbers were potentially misleading. But you're right about his snap count. Dude's a situational pass-rusher, and that's a lot to pay for a one trick pony.

It's just tough, I like Wimbley and have always defended him, but he's just not producing. Part of it is lack of playing time -against San Deigo he managed 6 snaps and the other part is not producing while in. Either way the production doesn't meet the payment

We'd save 4.8m by cutting Washington. I believe all his bonuses have been paid so their is no dead money.

It's hard to find the exact details of the CJ contract, but I think cutting CJ we'd save $4m on the cap next season, and have $4 in dead money.

Klug is signed through 2014, while Antonio Johnson is FA after this season. He's played well, and if he comes cheap I think he'll be back. We've got to consider the contract given to SLH, he's paid to be a starter. Paired with Casey and Martin, it's a solid trio. Johnson should be resigned if he comes at a decent price.

Wow...that Washington number is considerably higher than I was expecting. And, even though I like Nate as a player and what he's brought to the team over the past few years, the fact that there's little-to-no "dead money" makes him a very appealing cut candidate, given our likely tight cap situation this offseason.

Honestly, with the significant progress that Kendall has made this offseason, I'd be OK going into next season with a core of Wright, Hunter, and Damien (assuming we re-sign him). Add in a cheaper, reliable veteran presence as a #3/#4 type WR. Then add in a rookie (or maybe Preston or Mariani) as the 5th WR, and I think we'd be OK there.

Wow...that Washington number is considerably higher than I was expecting. And, even though I like Nate as a player and what he's brought to the team over the past few years, the fact that there's little-to-no "dead money" makes him a very appealing cut candidate, given our likely tight cap situation this offseason.

Honestly, with the significant progress that Kendall has made this offseason, I'd be OK going into next season with a core of Wright, Hunter, and Damien (assuming we re-sign him). Add in a cheaper, reliable veteran presence as a #3/#4 type WR. Then add in a rookie (or maybe Preston or Mariani) as the 5th WR, and I think we'd be OK there.

I just looked and made sure, the contract details only spread the signing bonus over the first 5 years of the deal, and there is no guaranteed money in the 6th. So yes, it would save 4.8m and have no dead money.

I like Nate, but it's appealing. Not that 4.8m is all that much for a starting WR, it's half what some of the prime guys are getting, but still I think it's time to move on and let some of the young guys step up.

According to overthecap.com (i've never seen this site until I just tried doing some research) we already have 116m of our cap spent for next season. That's with guys like Pollard, Verner, Pitoitua, Williams, etc not under contract.

The salary cap is not expected to rise above 122m until 2015, so we aren't looking real great there. The Wimbley contract is a tough pill to swallow, but a necessary one after seeing that. Between cutting Stewart, Wimbley and Stevens, we'd save roughly 11m and drop down to 105m while also setting ourselves up better for the future that we will need for a Casey, Locker, Ayers extension eventually. Right now, it's really weird looking at the 2016 players under contract, it's literally CJ, McCourty, Griffin, Wimbley, Levitre, Walker and then all of this years rookies.

If we think we're in too bad of shape we can cut Fitzpatrick,saving around 3.25m. If we go that route I'd just try to get an athletic backup QB to run the read option and make the occasional throw from time to time. No I'm not saying Tebow.

There's also guys like Patrick Bailey, who are overpaid and would save some money.

With the first scenario I listed earlier, we'd have around 17m to spend. We could get a starter or two, and add depth in needed positions.

According to overthecap.com (i've never seen this site until I just tried doing some research) we already have 116m of our cap spent for next season. That's with guys like Pollard, Verner, Pitoitua, Williams, etc not under contract.

The salary cap is not expected to rise above 122m until 2015, so we aren't looking real great there. The Wimbley contract is a tough pill to swallow, but a necessary one after seeing that. Between cutting Stewart, Wimbley and Stevens, we'd save roughly 11m and drop down to 105m while also setting ourselves up better for the future that we will need for a Casey, Locker, Ayers extension eventually. Right now, it's really weird looking at the 2016 players under contract, it's literally CJ, McCourty, Griffin, Wimbley, Levitre, Walker and then all of this years rookies.

If we think we're in too bad of shape we can cut Fitzpatrick,saving around 3.25m. If we go that route I'd just try to get an athletic backup QB to run the read option and make the occasional throw from time to time. No I'm not saying Tebow.

There's also guys like Patrick Bailey, who are overpaid and would save some money.

With the first scenario I listed earlier, we'd have around 17m to spend. We could get a starter or two, and add depth in needed positions.

Good info.

I think that most of our FAs (e.g. Pollard, Pitoitua, Williams, Ant-Johnson, etc.) can be re-signed for fairly cheap. The one I'm most concerned about is Verner, as he'll likely demand a pretty sizable financial commitment -- given his position and his high-performance thus far this season. While I'm hoping that we can re-sign Verner, it wouldn't shock me at all if he goes elsewhere.

I wouldn't mind at all cutting Fitzpatrick, as he's looked truly terrible. Also, as this upcoming draft looks pretty loaded at QB (at least compared to last year), I wouldn't mind looking at drafting Locker's backup in the mid-rounds, which could save us a bit of money compared to signing a veteran QB. At this point, I'm hoping that as many of the underclassmen QBs (Bridgewater, Mariota, Manziel, Hundley, etc.) declare for the draft, which would likely push some other QBs down into the 2nd-4th rounds.

Assuming that we are able to re-sign our notable FAs (e.g. Verner, Pitoitua, Pollard, Damien, & Ant-Johnson), I could see our draft going like...

1. OT
Stewart's likely gone, and that leaves a big hole on the right side of the OL. I'm not sure that Stingily is anything more than a career backup, and I know that Otto is a spot-starter at best. (Plus, he's overpaid and a FA that we very well might not re-sign.) Assuming that we pick in the mid-to-late 1st, there should be some good options available.

2. QB
This depends on how many of the underclassmen come out and how that affects the value of the upperclassmen QBs. Because we don't have our 3rd Round Pick this year, we'd have to pull the trigger here if we wanted a good long-term backup (and insurance plan) for Locker. Considering how crucial the QB position has become in the NFL, it's not unheard of for teams to draft their backup QB in the 2nd Round now.

3. N/A
We lost this pick with the Justin Hunter trade-up last year.

4. DE
Even if we re-sign Pitoitua, we should still look at adding a situational DE who can generate some consistent pass-rushing. Assuming that we cut Wimbley because of his contract, that would leave us with Morgan, Pitoitua, Edwards, and Klug -- the former three being solid but unspectacular pass-rushers and the latter being a tweener. So we'd benefit from a pass-rushing specialist. Depending on who's available in the 1st Round at our pick, I could see this spot switching and OT being drafted here instead (and DE being drafted in the 1st).

5. TE
I think we cut Stevens this offseason. He's a decent backup TE and has some value on ST; but we're paying him far too much. I know that fans will clamor for a big-play TE earlier in the draft, but that seems like a luxury pick to me -- especially since Delanie is a jack-of-all-trades type TE who the coaches seem to like. Also, Thompson has developed into a good enough blocker to serve as our backup, "heavy" TE. In my mind, you let Delanie and Taylor hold down the primary TE spots and draft a high-upside, developmental receiving TE in the mid-rounds.

6. RB
If we've learned anything, it's that RBs can be found late in the draft. Next year, CJ & Shonn should be our 1-2 punch, so we're just planning for the future here -- i.e. someone who can beat out Battle (who is OK but nothing special) for the 3rd RB spot and possibly develop into the #2 RB when CJ moves on.

7. OG
Assuming that we bring Chris Spencer back next year as our primary interior OL backup, then we've got some flexibility here -- going either OG or C with this pick. It tends to be easier to find OGs late in the draft, so my guess is we go that direction here. Worst-case scenario, we get a PS type player. Best-case scenario, we get somebody who can spot-play for us if Levitre, Warmack, and/or Spencer get hurt.

Other Positions of Consideration:-MLB: Neither McCarthy or Foku seem like long-term answers for us at the MLB spot. McCarthy's a big-play guy who struggles with consistency; Foku is a consistent guy who doesn't make many impact plays. Ideally, we'd have someone who does both. Still, it's rare when you can fill every hole in an offseason; and, to be honest, the combo of McCarthy/Foku is more than serviceable. Plus, Diles seems to be a guy that the coaches like and more than capable of being a backup MLB, let alone the #3 MLB on our team.-WR: This could become a need if we don't re-sign Williams. But our WR core is pretty young as is, so I'd expect us to fill our #4/#5 WR spots with players who have experience (i.e. a cheap vet) and/or are familiar with our system (i.e. Preston or Mariani).-SLB: We're paying Patrick Bailey too much money; and although both Foku & Diles could play SLB in a pinch, it might not be a bad idea to look toward adding a backup SLB if one we like falls in the mid-to-late rounds. Still, I'd expect us to cut Bailey and bring in a cheaper veteran backup SLB who can also play some special teams.-S: Depending on what happens with Pollard, then I could see us addressing FS/SS this year -- especially since Wilson's deal is up after next season and Griffin is so pricey/unpredictable. Stafford and even Wooten seem like possible backup safeties; but neither seem like they're ready to start, at least yet. But I'm expecting Pollard to re-sign, making this moot for at least one more offseason.

I think that most of our FAs (e.g. Pollard, Pitoitua, Williams, Ant-Johnson, etc.) can be re-signed for fairly cheap. The one I'm most concerned about is Verner, as he'll likely demand a pretty sizable financial commitment -- given his position and his high-performance thus far this season. While I'm hoping that we can re-sign Verner, it wouldn't shock me at all if he goes elsewhere.

I wouldn't mind at all cutting Fitzpatrick, as he's looked truly terrible. Also, as this upcoming draft looks pretty loaded at QB (at least compared to last year), I wouldn't mind looking at drafting Locker's backup in the mid-rounds, which could save us a bit of money compared to signing a veteran QB. At this point, I'm hoping that as many of the underclassmen QBs (Bridgewater, Mariota, Manziel, Hundley, etc.) declare for the draft, which would likely push some other QBs down into the 2nd-4th rounds.

I'm hoping we can get Verner similar to Finnegans first extension (I think it was around 5-6m a year).

As for QB, I'm in the same boat. There's no need to sign a guy to get 3m to be a backup. Let's just draft one (hopefully 4th round as we already have a starter) and pay him nothing. Not many teams can win with their backup QB anyways, and we have a team that should be able to run.

I've made an extensive list of everyone that we should cut/let walk in the offseason:
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Rusty Smith
- Chris Johnson Restructure to a more cap friendly number or Cut (I've been one of CJ's biggest defenders up until this season. He had a breakout game last week, but come on. It took until week 9 for him to get a rushing TD. Young runningbacks make great impacts early on these days, and this draft will be loaded with mid-round guys that would do just as well as, if not better than, CJ for a sliver of the cap space.
- Jackie Battle
- Kenny Britt
- Nate Washington
- Kevin Walter
- Craig Stevens
- Taylor Thompson
- Pat McQuistan
- David Stewart
- Mike Otto
- Chris Spencer
- Rob Turner
- Kam Wimbley
- Karl Klug
- Zac Diles
- Patrick Bailey
- Corey Lynch
- George Wilson
- Michael Griffin (Restructure this guy. He's not screwing up as much as he has in past years, but he's playing in a vastly improved secondary and still not making any impact plays)

Whether we make the playoffs or not, let's burn this mother to the ground!

As far as re-signings and extensions...Jake Locker
- Has he proven to be an elite QB, or that he's a true franchise signal-caller? Not really, but he's shown enough flashes. Our offense is obviously much better with him in, especially when he's healthy. Plus, it's not like a better QB will be a free agent.Damian Williams
- Just let us love you, Damian.Ropati Pitoatua
- The guy is never going to set the world on fire or get 8-10 sacks a game, but I feel like he knows his role and plays it well. Still has potential and upside to his game that he can reach as well.Antonio Johnson
- This man has been our second most consistent lineman after Jurrell Casey, me thinks.Alterraun Verner
- Our best player in the secondary, and one of the top corners in the game this season. He's not going to come cheap, but that's ok. Bernard Pollard
- Unquestioned leader on defense that brings much needed attitude as well. Sure tackler on the second level.

Assuming that we are able to re-sign our notable FAs (e.g. Verner, Pitoitua, Pollard, Damien, & Ant-Johnson), I could see our draft going like...

1. OT
Stewart's likely gone, and that leaves a big hole on the right side of the OL. I'm not sure that Stingily is anything more than a career backup, and I know that Otto is a spot-starter at best. (Plus, he's overpaid and a FA that we very well might not re-sign.) Assuming that we pick in the mid-to-late 1st, there should be some good options available.

2. QB
This depends on how many of the underclassmen come out and how that affects the value of the upperclassmen QBs. Because we don't have our 3rd Round Pick this year, we'd have to pull the trigger here if we wanted a good long-term backup (and insurance plan) for Locker. Considering how crucial the QB position has become in the NFL, it's not unheard of for teams to draft their backup QB in the 2nd Round now.

3. N/A
We lost this pick with the Justin Hunter trade-up last year.

4. DE
Even if we re-sign Pitoitua, we should still look at adding a situational DE who can generate some consistent pass-rushing. Assuming that we cut Wimbley because of his contract, that would leave us with Morgan, Pitoitua, Edwards, and Klug -- the former three being solid but unspectacular pass-rushers and the latter being a tweener. So we'd benefit from a pass-rushing specialist. Depending on who's available in the 1st Round at our pick, I could see this spot switching and OT being drafted here instead (and DE being drafted in the 1st).

5. TE
I think we cut Stevens this offseason. He's a decent backup TE and has some value on ST; but we're paying him far too much. I know that fans will clamor for a big-play TE earlier in the draft, but that seems like a luxury pick to me -- especially since Delanie is a jack-of-all-trades type TE who the coaches seem to like. Also, Thompson has developed into a good enough blocker to serve as our backup, "heavy" TE. In my mind, you let Delanie and Taylor hold down the primary TE spots and draft a high-upside, developmental receiving TE in the mid-rounds.

6. RB
If we've learned anything, it's that RBs can be found late in the draft. Next year, CJ & Shonn should be our 1-2 punch, so we're just planning for the future here -- i.e. someone who can beat out Battle (who is OK but nothing special) for the 3rd RB spot and possibly develop into the #2 RB when CJ moves on.

7. OG
Assuming that we bring Chris Spencer back next year as our primary interior OL backup, then we've got some flexibility here -- going either OG or C with this pick. It tends to be easier to find OGs late in the draft, so my guess is we go that direction here. Worst-case scenario, we get a PS type player. Best-case scenario, we get somebody who can spot-play for us if Levitre, Warmack, and/or Spencer get hurt.

Other Positions of Consideration:-MLB: Neither McCarthy or Foku seem like long-term answers for us at the MLB spot. McCarthy's a big-play guy who struggles with consistency; Foku is a consistent guy who doesn't make many impact plays. Ideally, we'd have someone who does both. Still, it's rare when you can fill every hole in an offseason; and, to be honest, the combo of McCarthy/Foku is more than serviceable. Plus, Diles seems to be a guy that the coaches like and more than capable of being a backup MLB, let alone the #3 MLB on our team.-WR: This could become a need if we don't re-sign Williams. But our WR core is pretty young as is, so I'd expect us to fill our #4/#5 WR spots with players who have experience (i.e. a cheap vet) and/or are familiar with our system (i.e. Preston or Mariani).-SLB: We're paying Patrick Bailey too much money; and although both Foku & Diles could play SLB in a pinch, it might not be a bad idea to look toward adding a backup SLB if one we like falls in the mid-to-late rounds. Still, I'd expect us to cut Bailey and bring in a cheaper veteran backup SLB who can also play some special teams.-S: Depending on what happens with Pollard, then I could see us addressing FS/SS this year -- especially since Wilson's deal is up after next season and Griffin is so pricey/unpredictable. Stafford and even Wooten seem like possible backup safeties; but neither seem like they're ready to start, at least yet. But I'm expecting Pollard to re-sign, making this moot for at least one more offseason.

This is a big dilemma for me, I know we have talent and areas of need, but the order is hard for me to determine. Assuming we resign the 5 you mentioned, here goes mine:

1) TE Eric Ebron NC 6'4" 245 - After watching a few games of his, I'm convinced he's the total package and real-deal at TE. He is an underrated run blocker, he can spread out wide or play from the line. He does it all. He's fast, athletic and can make the tough catch. I think Walker is best suited in a motion TE/H-Back role like he played in SF, this would allow Walker to do more of those things. If we get down to Wright, Hunter and Williams, I just assume add an athletic TE that can do it all to another WR.

2) DE Kony Ealy Missouri 6'5" 275 - A little earlier than he's projected to go by most sites, but he's a Jason Pierre-Paul / Ziggy Ansah type talent who can shoot up the boards. He's really not a raw guy though, this is his 3rd year at Mizzou. He's solid against the run, and solid against the pass.

3) :(

4) All we need this year is a RT, who may have the capability of playing LT in 2-3 years when Roos hangs em up. I like two guys in that role, although they may require a trade up into the 3rd to guarantee their servies. Morgan Moses and Jawuan James both fit this need for me. I also believe Cornelius Lucas can be a great RT, but I somewhat question his ability to move over to LT (even though he plays LT in college).

5) WR Tevin Reese Baylor - He's a vertical threat that has ability to run other routes. He's a developmental type of WR but he's worth developing. He could be a DeSean Jackson type best case scenario, or probably Tavon Austin worst-case HAHA

6) QB Keith Price, Washington. I don't know if Price will ever be a starter, but I like his ability and with some play-calling that fits his ability he could replace Locker if an injury were to happen. I don't feel the need to spend a high pick, and would be greatly disappointed if we took one before the 4th. The 3rd/4th seems to be the going rate for backups and as we've seen every year QBs fall some. A site I found claims 6 first round QBs, I'm guessing that number is closer to 3.

7) RB Michael Dyer Louisville - Reports are he's leaving, I don't know why but o well. Either way investing a late round selection in a talented RB who has slipped off the radar is never a bad thing to do. I wanted to do the same thing when Arian Foster was coming out, and again the same thing when Bryce Brown was coming out.

This is a big dilemma for me, I know we have talent and areas of need, but the order is hard for me to determine. Assuming we resign the 5 you mentioned, here goes mine:

1) TE Eric Ebron NC 6'4" 245 - After watching a few games of his, I'm convinced he's the total package and real-deal at TE. He is an underrated run blocker, he can spread out wide or play from the line. He does it all. He's fast, athletic and can make the tough catch. I think Walker is best suited in a motion TE/H-Back role like he played in SF, this would allow Walker to do more of those things. If we get down to Wright, Hunter and Williams, I just assume add an athletic TE that can do it all to another WR.